What is a Dissertation?
Sometimes known as a thesis (in some countries, this term is used only for the final assignments of PhD degrees, while in other countries ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ are interchangeable), a dissertation is a research project completed as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Typically, a dissertation allows students present their findings in response to a question or proposition that they choose themselves. The aim of the project is to test the independent research skills students have acquired during their time at university, with the assessment used to help determine their final grade. Although there is usually some guidance from your tutors, the dissertation project is largely independent.
For most students this will be the longest, most difficult and most important assignment completed at university, requiring months of preparation and hard work (the library might become a second home). However, it can also be very rewarding, particularly if you’re passionate about your choice of topic. It’s therefore definitely a good idea to make sure you choose a subject you’re genuinely interested in.
Sometimes known as a thesis (in some countries, this term is used only for the final assignments of PhD degrees, while in other countries ‘thesis’ and ‘dissertation’ are interchangeable), a dissertation is a research project completed as part of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Typically, a dissertation allows students present their findings in response to a question or proposition that they choose themselves. The aim of the project is to test the independent research skills students have acquired during their time at university, with the assessment used to help determine their final grade. Although there is usually some guidance from your tutors, the dissertation project is largely independent. Learn more about Walden&rsquoAs a doctoral student, you will learn research methods, plan and design your research, and present your findings in a scholarly paper called a doctoral study. The study&rsquo
In a doctoral study, you will identify a problem, present your methodology, describe your project, make observations about your findings, and present your practical solution. The doctoral study&rsquo
The capstone of the professional doctoral program consists of:
- Creating a proposal that describes the problem you want to solve
One of Walden University&rsquo The capstone of the PhD program consists of: In terms of length, the average doctoral dissertation length varies around 100-200 pages, while the bachelor&rsquo
The Structure of a University Dissertation
It is obvious that the entire content of a university dissertation will not be presented in a single block. Whether you are writing a 100-page or 300-page dissertation, it should be broken down into logical chapters or sections to fit a specific format.
Remember, a dissertation is like your first academic book and an opportunity to get published. In this regard, books have a clearly defined format and your paper must adhere to the same. Typically, a well-written dissertation can include conventionally five (in some cases six) chapters that ought to be succinctly and adequately addressed.
Chapter 1: Introduction
The introduction section details the dissertation&rsquo
- Clearly state the research questions and objectives and how they are going to be fulfilled.
- Define the research topic, outlining the background information to contextualize the work.
- Define the scope of the research and narrow down the focus area.
- Summarize the structure of the dissertation, including a preview of the subsequent chapters.
- State how the chosen issue is relevant in the modern age.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
In essence, the literature review is a comprehensive survey and synthesis of studies that already exist on the selected topic. It often forms the basis for the theoretical framework, in which you analyze the key concepts, theories, and models that frame the research.
In summary, a literature review should show how the research:
- Addresses the gaps unearthed during the evaluation and analysis of existing studies.
- Leverages existing and recent methodological and theoretical approaches to the topic.
- Elevates a theoretical argument.
- Suggests a fitting solution to a problem not addressed by previous studies.
- Augment existing knowledge with fresh data.
Chapter 3: Methodology
The methodology section outlines the procedures and methods proposed and used to collect and analyze data. It describes how the research was conducted, enabling the reader to assess the validity of the entire process. The core aim is to accurately report what the research entailed and convince the reader that the best-possible methods and approaches were used to answer the research questions and objectives.
Generally, the methodology section includes:
- The crucial information on where and when the research was conducted. It also provides details of the participants of the research.
- The type of research and overall approach used (e.g. experimental, ethnographic, quantitative, or qualitative).
- Techniques used to collect data (e.g. surveys, interviews, or archives)
- Methods used to analyze data (e.g. discourse analysis or statistical analysis)
- Tools and materials used during the research (e.g. lab equipment or computer software programs)
- A summary of the challenges faced during the research and how they were overcome.
- Lastly, a detailed evaluation and justification of the methods used.
Chapter 4: Results
This section includes a comprehensive report about results that are most relevant to the research question and objectives. Typically, the section includes a list of findings obtained from the research, mentioned explicitly in their relation to the hypothesis.
As a rule of thumb, the following should be included in the results section:
- General conclusions to the findings as per the research.
- Materials or information that will help the reader understand what you found.
- Tables, charts, and graphs that help visualize the results to add value to the text.
In some cases, it will be convenient to add charts, tables, and graphs to the results section. However, if they are redundant or are not directly related to your research question do not add them here. Instead, find space for them in the appendix.
Chapter 5: Discussion
The discussion is the last chapter in some disciplines while in other it is the penultimate section. The discussion section is just as its name implies, it includes the discussion or the interpretation of the results. It reassembles bits and strands from the literature discussed, the methodology used, and the results presented.
Some of the things discussed in this section include:
- Did the results meet the expectations as per the research question?
- How do the results diversify the current base of evidence-based as regards your topic?
- Did you find any unexpected results? If yes, include a detailed explanation of why this happened.
- Alternative interpretations of data, to point out what the results mean from a bigger perspective.
- Acknowledgment of the limitations that might have impacted the results.
- Recommendations for practical action or future research
In some cases, doctoral students create a separate chapter for their conclusions, recommendations, and future research.
So, when people talk about thesis or dissertation, what do they really mean? This section seeks to demystify dissertation vs thesis. Like other academic texts, it’s important that your dissertation follows the formatting guidelines set out by your university. You can lose marks unnecessarily over mistakes, so it’s worth taking the time to get all these elements right.
Frequently asked questions about dissertations
The words ‘dissertation’ and ‘thesis’ both refer to a large written research project undertaken to complete a degree, but they are used differently depending on the country:
- In the UK, you write a dissertation at the end of a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and you write a thesis to complete a PhD.
- In the US, it’
The main difference is in terms of scale – a dissertation is usually much longer than the other essays you complete during your degree.
Another key difference is that you are given much more independence when working on a dissertation. You choose your own dissertation topic, and you have to conduct the research and write the dissertation yourself (with some assistance from your supervisor).
Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:
- An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
- A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
- A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words
However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.
At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.
A PhD thesis takes a longer time, as the thesis is the main focus of the degree. A PhD thesis might be being formulated and worked on for the whole four years of the degree program. The writing process alone can take around 18 months.
At the bachelor’s and master’s levels, the dissertation is usually the main focus of your final year. You might work on it (alongside other classes) for the entirety of the final year, or for the last six months. This includes formulating an idea, doing the research, and writing up.